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Base - cement placed under a dental restoration to insulate the pulp (nerve chamber)
from temperature changes
Bicuspid or pre-molar - transitional teeth behind the cuspids
. They usually have two cusps buccal and lingual cusps hence the name, bicuspids.
Bifurcation
(trifurcation) - juncture of separation of two (three) roots from the root trunk
in posterior teeth
Biopsy - removal of a small piece of tissue for microscopic examination
Bioinert
- Property of a material that elicits no reaction of the body such as immune response
or inflammation
Biomaterial - Non-viable material used to replace part of the living
system or function in contact with the living system
Biointegration - Bonding of living
tissue to a biomaterial or implant
Bioabsorbable - Property of a material to degrade
or dissolve inside the body by the body mechanisms
Bite - relationship of the upper
and lower teeth on closure (occlusion) to each other
Bite wings - caries (decay)
detection x-rays showing the crowns of the upper and lower molars in the section
x-rayed
Black hairy tongue - elongated papillae on the tongue, promoting the growth
of microorganisms
Bleaching - chemical or laser treatment of natural teeth for whitening
effect
Block injection -anesthesia of a nerve trunk that covers a large area of the
jaw ; for example a mandibular block injection produces numbness of the lower jaw,
teeth, half the tongue and lip on the side injected.
Block Graft - Autogenous bone
or Bone Allograft stabilized in the recipient site with screws. Used when there is
a huge bone defect
Bonding - adhesive dental restoration technique; a tooth-colored
composite resin to repair and/or change the color or shape of a tooth
Bone resorption
- decrease in bone supporting the roots of teeth; a common result of periodontal
(gum) disease, caused by toxins released by the micro-organisms in plaque
Bone Augmentation
- Procedure that corrects bone deficiency by using a graft.
Bone Atrophy - Decrease
in dimension of bone due to bone loss.
Braces - devices used by orthodontists to gradually
reposition teeth to a more favorable alignment
Bridge – fixed dental prosthesis replacing
one or more missing teeth ; cemented or bonded to supporting teeth or implants adjacent
to the space
Bruxism – involuntary, unconscious, destructive grinding of the teeth,
most commonly while the patient is asleep. Characterized by extensive wear of teeth
, sensitive teeth and soreness of jaw joints upon awakening
Bruxomania - persistent
"nervous" grinding of the teeth while the patient is awake
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